Jaipur, Sept. 27 -- The BJP on Saturday won the deputy mayor elections in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota, completing a sweep of the top two posts in all three municipal corporations. Its candidate also won the president's post in the newly formed Suket Municipality by one vote. The Congress secured a narrow victory in Khatushyamji Municipality in Sikar after votes cast earlier this month were counted under a Rajasthan High Court order. In Jaipur, BJP's Saroj Kanwar defeated Congress candidate Salman Mansoori 89-58 to become the corporation's first woman deputy mayor. One councillor voted NOTA and one vote was rejected. Of 150 councillors, 149 voted; Congress councillor Vandita Sharma could not vote because of a leg injury. The BJP has 78 councillors, Congress 57 and independents 15. In Jodhpur, BJP's Vijay Panwar defeated Congress candidate Abdul Karim Johnny 52-48. Johnny had earlier served as deputy mayor of Jodhpur North Municipal Corporation. "My name is Vijay. But I am a BJP member, so victory is certain," Panwar said after the result. Panwar, considered close to the RSS, had defeated the son of a nephew of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot in the councillor election. The BJP had already won the Jodhpur mayoral election. It won 45 of the corporation's 100 wards, against Congress's 44. Ten independents and one RLP candidate were also elected. Seven independents later joined the BJP, taking its strength to 52, above the majority mark of 51. In Kota, BJP councillor Vivek Rajvanshi was elected deputy mayor unopposed after Congress did not file a nomination by the deadline. BJP workers celebrated before the formal announcement, dancing to drums and tossing currency notes. Rajvanshi, from Ward 54, had defeated Congress candidate Manish Sharma by 2,206 votes in the ward election. He had contested the mayoral election in the previous municipal polls but lost by two votes. In Suket, BJP's Jitendra Chopra defeated Congress candidate Umardin Khan 13-12 to become the first president of the newly formed municipality. In Khatushyamji, Congress's Vinita Poonia was elected president after 19 votes cast on September 21 were counted on Saturday under the High Court's order. She received 10 votes, defeating BJP's Prem Devi by one. The 20-member board has eight councillors each from BJP and Congress, three independents and one RLP councillor. Nineteen councillors voted on September 21, while Ward 10 councillor Lakshmi Devi abstained. The ballots were sealed after voting amid a dispute over the election. Though a fresh election was subsequently ordered, the High Court directed that the result be declared on the basis of the votes already cast. The results drew a sharp response from Gehlot, who congratulated the newly elected councillors and civic heads but accused the BJP government of manipulating the election process. "It is hoped that the ruling and opposition parties will work together to resolve the public's problems and issues," he wrote on social media. "But it is regrettable that the ruling BJP crossed all limits of immorality in the way the elections were conducted in Rajasthan this time." Gehlot alleged that ward boundaries had been redrawn to favour the BJP, with Congress-supporting wards merged and BJP-supporting areas split into additional wards. The BJP rejected the allegations. Its chief spokesperson Ramlal Sharma told HT, "Congress is unable to digest these results. That's why its leaders are making such statements in frustration. Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot is increasingly restless because several factions within the party have emerged against him. He should accept the people's decision. By repeatedly questioning a democratic process, he is insulting the decision of public representatives and the mandate of the public." eatedly questioning a democratic process, he is insulting the decision of public representatives and the mandate of the public."...